In general, I am not a huge fan of tribute albums. That said, I don't know if I could be any more excited about the newly-released If You Gotta Go-Go, Go-Go Now! What makes this particular tribute album special? Well first off, we are talking about the almighty Go-Go's. Outside of the Ramones, I can't think of a single band that has been more influential on the modern-day punk/garage/power pop scene that this blog revolves around. Secondly, this project was produced and curated by one of my favorite people in music: songwriter, musician, producer, radio personality, and all-around great dude Travis Ramin. Out on the legendary Sympathy For The Record Industry, If You Gotta Go-Go, Go-Go Now features 24 amazing bands and artists presenting fresh takes on Go-Go's favorites. I won't get into listing all of the participants (you can easily do that yourself!), but I will say that this album represents a perfect mix of contemporaries of the Go-Go's, bands who kept a Go-Go's influence going strong in the '90s and 2000s, and some of the very best of the current generation of power pop and punk. If you read down the track list, you'll spot a few legends along with several of my personal favorites from today's pop underground (including two of my top three favorite bands, who do not disappoint!).
Of course all tribute albums are a labor of love. But with this one in particular, you can really feel the love. Covering such beloved and seemingly untouchable material was surely no easy task for the parties involved. But as you'll hear in the samples I've embedded below, this album is full of inspired interpretations of classics. No wonder The Go-Go's themselves have expressed their heartfelt approval! If you like what you hear, follow one of the links below to order the album on CD. A double LP release is coming soon!
4 comments:
thank you for the kind words...it is an amazing record...i don't say that about all my sympathy releases...i've not listened to much else for the last 3 months and i also do not like tribute records, but when travis suggested it it made sense and it was patterned after my blondie tribute i released 20 years ago which had the approval of chris stein and debbie harry...if anyone wants to look for it it is called, "how many bands does it take to screw up a blondie tribute?" thank you for recognizing excellence in music as there isn't much around anymore...
Thank you, Lord Rutledge! We are SO EXCITED to be on this Tribute of Love to The Go-Go's! We owe all thanks to John Edward Mermis for making this project come to life. And thanks, too, to Travis Ramin and Geza X for making the album art and the songs into a candy-riffic cohesive delight. Go-Go's Forever!!! 🖤⚡🖤
Hi,
you talk about a vinyl release coming soon. More info please!
Best,
Nick.
Vinyl will take a while due to the pressing delays currently being experienced. But it is in the works. The Facebook page will keep us all updated!
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